Find of the Month: Drake General Store

There are a few retailers that are my go-to’s on this blog, and Drake General Store has to be one of them. The cult gift shop started as a quirky way for guests at uber hip The Drake Hotel in Toronto to celebrate their stay on Canadian soil, but has since expanded to a series of ‘pop up’-style shops in Toronto Hudson’s Bay locations, as well as a pretty amazing online shop that is regularly cited on this blog.

So, given this is Canada’s 150th and Drake General Store is one of the most Canadian retailers I could possibly imagine, and the fact July is my all-Canadian coverage month, I thought it was high time I featured the brand as my Find of the Month. Below are some of my favourite gift ideas from Drake General Store – all perfectly attuned to the fever pitch of Canadian pride taking place right now!

Provincial Florals Collection – $6 – $55As the theme of this post will showcase, Drake General Store carries a ton of cool Canadiana products. One of their latest collections is a bit more subtle, but no less desirable. They’ve taken the oft-overlooked provincial flowers and applied them to a range of tees, hats, and socks, for kids and adults, essentially a Canadian riff on Hawaiian floral togs. Deck out the whole fam in matching togs, or gift your bridesmaids a top from the province they were born in. I also love the idea of a provincial tee as a new baby gift. A personal fave? The collection of provincial socks, available for himand her.

Shared + HBC + Sid Lee – ONE FIF TEE – Karen Kain Tee – $48Yet another cool Canuck collab. Drake General Store, Hudson’s Bay and Sid Lee have invited 10 influential Canadian figures – like chef Susur Lee and electronic duo DVBBS – to collaborate on a limited edition set of tees for kids and adults. I was immediately drawn toward the retro vibe of this snuggly tee, even moreso when I realized renowned ballet dancer Karen Kain (now Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada) was the ‘prima’ behind this chic design. Extra cool? A percentage of sales of each tee will go back to each influencer’s desired Canadian charity.

Rock Coasters – $12 eachI’m not exaggerating when I say Drake General Store loves Canada. They even have a Made in Canada collection (a small one, but still). From leather luggage tags to notebooks to cool stone coasters like the one above, there’s a neat way to treat everyone on your list to a truly Canadian gift.

Arborist Hot + Cold Bottle RCMP – $32One of the biggest Canadian icons of all time has to be the RCMP, or more colloquially known as Mounties. Naturally you’ll find plenty of Mountie-inspired gear at Drake General Store, including tees, housewares, and even a Mickey Mouse stuffie. Given our population’s affinity for the great outdoors, this bottle caught my eye. Made from double-walled steel, it’s designed to keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold. It’s super lightweight and perfect for packing during those woodsy hikes this summer.

Canadiana Enamel Pin Set – $35I couldn’t resist including this cute pin set, since pins are having a bit of a moment right now (particularly with the younger set that’s bedazzling their cardis and bags). These sleek little pins are a perfect celebration of what makes Canada Canada – not just for #Canada150, but for many years to come. Consider these on my wish list.

Now, I am quite excited to announce that Drake General Store has agreed to put together a pretty amazing prize package for one lucky reader this month. If you win, you’ll receive a tee and cap in the provincial floral print of your choice, plus the entire collection of socks, plus a pennant for your home province! Want to nab this crazy cool Canadiana prize pack? Here’s how to enter for your chance to win:

1) First off! You must be a Canadian Gift Guide subscriber to enter this giveaway. Just find the ‘Gift of Gab’ box on the righthand side of this page and either hit ‘Follow’ or enter your email address. Once you’ve done that, leave me a comment by July 31, 2017 with a link to your favourite Canadiana gift idea on the Drake General Store site. While you’re at it, tell me which provincial flower set you’d choose!

2) Entries are limited to one per person / per email address / per household (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around August 1, 2017 to select the winner(s), who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.

3) Entries are limited to Canadians that have reached the age of majority in their province. Quebec is not eligible for this promotion.

4) Bonus Entry: Follow Drake General Store on Instagram. Then, take a photo of your favourite gift idea on the DGS website and share it to your own Instagram feed, tagging Drake General Store and mentioning this giveaway! Share a link back to your Instagram post in a separate comment below.